1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to dough divider machines and methods of operating and lubricating dough divider machines. More particularly it relates to a method and device for filtering contaminants from mineral oil used in lubricating a dough divider machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dough divider machines are well known devices for sifting flour, making dough, separating the dough into measured and weighed pieces and processing these pieces into bakery products such as bread, rolls, buns, and pastries. As these dough divider machines operate they require lubrication for metal to metal friction surfaces and also for locations where metal contacts dough or flour to prevent the dough or flour from sticking or caking to the metal.
In order to provide lubrication, dough divider machines have a system of conduits and nozzles which convey mineral oil to the proper locations in the machine. The nozzles spray the mineral oil to the desired surfaces.
Generally, Mineral oil is used in these dough divider machines because it is less expensive and less likely to become rancid than vegetable oils. However, the mineral oil must be carefully used since Federal Regulations and food quality considerations limit the amount of mineral oil absorbed in the bakery products to less than 0.15% of the total weight of the bakery products.
In the past, there has been no way to determine the percentage of mineral oil in the bakery products other than a chemical analysis of a sample bakery product. This is because not all of the mineral oil injected into the dough divider machine is absorbed in the bakery products. In fact, the vast majority of the mineral oil is collected in catch pans in the bottom of the dough divider machine. These catch pans receive not only the mineral oil but also a large mixture of dough, flour, and contaminates such as bacteria, metal particles, etc.
In the past, these catch pans have been emptied into barrels and the mineral oil, flour, dough, and contaminants are discarded. Obviously, this is wasteful and undesirable. It also produces a serious disposal problem.
Another problem encountered with dough divider machines is clogging of the nozzles which spray the mineral oil lubricant to desired locations. When this occurs, the entire machine is down during repairs to the nozzles. This clogging occurs even though only unused oil is sprayed through the nozzles since even unused oil can be contaminated from the source of the oil or from dust or other contamination after the barrel of oil is opened.